and in the coming weeks, governor romney and i will spend time debating our records and our experience -- as we should. but though we will have many differences over the course of this campaign, there's one place where i stand in complete agreement with my opponent -- this election is about our economic future. [applause] yes, foreign policy matters. social issues matter. but more than anything else, this election presents a choice between two fundamentally different visions of how to create strong, sustained growth, how to pay down our long-term debt, and most of all, how to generate good, middle- class jobs so people can have confidence that if they work hard, they can get ahead. [applause] now, this isn't some abstract debate. this is not another trivial washington argument. i have said that this is the defining issue of our time -- and i mean it. i said that this is a make-or- break moment for america's middle class -- and i believe it. the decisions we make in the next few years on everything from debt and taxes to energy and education will have an enormous impact on this country